BCCC will be offering a 40-
hour course on the Newtown
campus for registered nurses and
nurse practitioners focused on the
treatment needed for victims of
sexual assault.
In our world, sexual assault is
not an uncommon occurrence.
Every day, hospitals and other
medical services encounter cases
of sexual assault and the victims
who need their help.
Bucks is now offering a 40 hour
course on how to physically treat
victims in these situations and
how to bring them comfort emo-
tionally. The course will also pro-
vide information on other topics
such as intimate partner violence
and rape trauma syndrome.
This course will be stretched over the
course of five days. The last class will take
place on Sept. 25.
The course will only take place on the
Newtown campus with the exclusion of
one day where the class will take place in
the DA’s office to provide a mock trial for
students.
Cheyenne Rothermel, a sexual assault
nurse examiner educator, will be teaching
the course. She also teaches at the Episcopal
school of nursing, Aria school of nursing, and
the Temple University nursing program.
She created the course to teach nurses and
nurse practitioners how to become examiners
in cases of sexual assault. Rothermal said,
“There is a need for examiners in the area
and I am passionate about caring for special
populations and the underserved.”
Working with topics such as sexual assault
is not an easy task. These students will be on
crime scenes and will witness terrible things
in their career. “This class is an area of spe-
cialty. The person must be passionate to assist
victims of violence but be prepared to see
horrific situations,” said Rothermal.
Along with information on sexual
violence, this course
will provide information on topics
such as human trafficking,
elder abuse, and child abuse. Rothermal
explained, “However these topics know no
boundaries. Everyone knows someone that
has been affected by one of these topics.”
Sexual violence has affected many lives
and continues to be a frequent issue covered
in the daily news. Rothermal stressed the
importance of nurses having experience in
this field to identify those in need. “I believe
this should be available to the students on
a yearly or semester basis. Every new class
should be educated and re-educated on these
topics,” said Rothermal.
Students at Bucks also feel this is an
important course for nurses and others in the
medical field due to the frequent reports of
sexual assault in the news.
Megan Burke, a student at Bucks said,
“They [nurses] should have background
information on how to treat victims of sexual
assault because in this day and age these
types of things occur, which is upsetting.”
Anyone majoring in the medical field will
benefit from taking this course. “Those in the
medical profession must have the knowledge
to identify those in need,” said Rothermal.